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- Surprise, Arizona ranks as one of the best cities for first-time homebuyers in a WalletHub study.
- Surprise ranked first for its real estate market, indicating increasing home values.
- Gilbert and Chandler also ranked highly.
Those looking to buy their first home in metro Phoenix have access to one of the best cities in the country to do so, according to a WalletHub study.
Surprise came in as the fourth best city for first-time homebuyers out of 300 cities across the United States in WalletHub’s 2025 ranking. WalletHub ranked cities by housing affordability, the strength of the real estate market and quality of life.
Although No. 4 overall, Surprise ranked No. 1 for its real estate market. A strong real estate market is good for first-time home buyers because it means that Surprise’s housing is likely to stay in demand and increase in value, according to Walt Baydo, a broker at Surprise Realty.
Surprise is quickly developing — in Arizona, it was second only to Phoenix for population growth in 2024. A Surprise location of popular grocery store ALDI is just one of several major shopping developments coming to the West Valley. New homes in the southern part of Surprise contribute to the affordability of the city, Baydo said.
“The affordability of the homes, with the low crime, the great location and the great schools, those four things are the main ingredients to the recipe that’s making Surprise rank so high,” Baydo said.
How did Arizona cities rank for first time homebuyers?
- No. 4: Surprise
- No. 6: Gilbert
- No. 11: Chandler
- No. 13: Peoria
- No. 21: Scottsdale
- No. 27: Yuma
- No. 34: Mesa
- No. 53: Phoenix
- No. 63: Glendale
- No. 76: Tempe
- No. 86: Tucson
How did Wallethub rank best cities for first time homebuyers?
WalletHub, a personal finance website, chose 300 cities of various sizes across the U.S. for the study. Analysts then came up with three categories: affordability, real-estate market and quality of life.
Affordability was calculated using data like the median housing price, the average cost of homeowner’s insurance and the cost of living. Real-estate market was calculated with the median days a home stays on the market, foreclosure rate and other similar statistics. Quality of life relied on other WalletHub city rankings, such as weather, the job market and the quality of school system.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
